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House agrees to set minimum wage for household helps

November 20, 2012 4:31pm

The House of Representatives has agreed to the Senate proposal to set the minimum wage for household helps under the measure which seeks to protect the rights of almost two million domestic workers (kasambahay) in the country.

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, one of the congressmen who sat in the bicameral conference committee meeting on the Kasambahay bill, said the House and the Senate reached a compromise on how to pay household helps.

“Nagka-agreement na dun sa medyo hindi mapagkasunduan na issue on minimum wage… Napagkasunduan na we will try to have a hybrid system,” Angara said at a press briefing Tuesday.

The congressman explained that the bicameral conference committee decided to set the following minimum wages for domestic workers, as proposed in the Senate version of the Kasambahay bill:

P2,500 a month for those employed in the National Capital Region;

P2,000 a month for those employed in chartered cities and first class municipalities; and

P1,500 a month for those employed in other municipalities.

Angara added that the Senate, for its part, agreed to the House proposal to allow the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards to review and adjust the minimum wage rates annually.

In a separate text message, Northern Samar Rep. Emil Ong, chairperson of the House labor committee, said domestic workers will also be entitled to social benefits on top of their minimum wages.

“Minimum lang naman iyan. With other benefit, it will be around P1,500 per month that the employer will shoulder. So in effect, mga P4,000 din iyon,” Ong said.

He added that the House is expected to ratify the bicameral conference committee report on the Kasambahay bill—one of President Benigno Aquino III’s priority legislations— within the week.

Once both chambers of Congress ratify the bicameral conference committee report on the measure, the proposed legislation will be forwarded to Malacañang for the President’s approval. — Andreo Calonzo/RSJ, GMA News